Badger watch

Today, just a few weeks short of my 55th birthday, I witnessed something for the first time. As I was leaving home this morning, just before 7 ,driving out of the road I caught sight of this badger walking up the road. I stopped and watched it as it made it's way into the neighbours garden. Yes I've seen a badger before but they where either in a cage or dead by the roadside. I always assumed they were nocturnal and I certainly didn't expect to see one on the way to work. I can only assume it had made its way over from the adjacent farmland-maybe I may never see one au natural again, especially if I have to wait another 55 years!

Spring has sprung

My Mum has two old cherry trees in her garden that showed no signs of life . However when I called up on Saturday evening they are in full bloom. What a beautiful sight, at least until the flowers start to fall!
I must remember to bring a digital camera with me more often instead of relying on the phone.

The first of the year!

What exceptional weather we are having for the middle of April. Last night was the first evening BBQ at the Green's for 2007 following a hot sunny Saturday. A few rib-eye steaks but no T bones as at the minute I am not allowed to eat red meat, just had to do with chicken and salmon. We did however finish with a chocolate fondue with bananas, strawberries and raspberries- delicious!

The Irish Rovers

Although I'm back from the states over a week it is only today that I have received photos taken by George. I forgot to bring a camera so am dependant on Jim and George . There are too many pics to put on this blog page so I must do as I have intended to do for some time-start a photo album. All I have to do is figure out how to!
Being in the states everyone of course had Irish ancestors and to make us feel at home it was felt we must have green hair and eat Irish lucky charm cereal!


Finally thanks to all who made our time in America so enjoyable

Easter

So a Somerfields survey finds that a large number of people are unaware of the significance of Easter. Here is an extract of the survey

A survey published by supermarket chain Somerfield has shown that many youngsters in the UK do not know what Easter signifies.
Somerfield's survey, which was conducted as part of a marketing campaign, found that one-in-six 16 to 24-year-olds know nothing about Good Friday, the commemoration of Jesus' crucifixion.
Meanwhile, 10 per cent are in the dark about Easter Sunday, which marks Jesus' resurrection.
1,130 adults were quizzed by Somerfield for the survey, which found that youngsters are ignorant when it comes to the Easter bunny - a Pagan fertility symbol - with 31 per cent having no idea why the character exists at all.
But, despite large numbers of people being unaware of the Easter basics, more than a fifth said they are planning to go to church to mark the holiday.

But the Scriptures explain the significance to us

Luke 24
1But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.
2And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,
3but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
4While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing;
5and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living One among the dead?
6"He is not here, but He has risen Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee,
7saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again."
8And they remembered His words,
9and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.
10Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles.
11But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them.
12But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened.

International Cuisine

Sunday I had my lunch at the Chop House Chattanooga.

Tuesday I had my dinner in that southern American diner Pa PA Browns

You are my sunshine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FNK7x7VgP4

What a beautiful country we live in, especially when it is warm and sunny. The weather over the last few days has been exceptional and today I took a stroll down the Marina- and walked in areas of Carrickfergus that I hadn't been before. Took some pictures on my mobile so sorry for quality.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5K92mCfv1w

Northern Trust

After twelve years the United trust along with all the other trusts in the Northern Board have been abolished. As an act of appreciation all staff in the United Trust where offered a free breakfast!
That must have been a great boost to those staff who as yet still don't know if they have a job or to the proposed 1200 redundancies.

The wanderers return

Jim, George and I returned yesterday from what is euphemistically called the Winter training classes at precept International in Chattanooga.(http://www.precept.org/ )

It is difficult to see how it can be called a winter study programme when the lowest temperature we encountered was in the mid 70's F.

It was a good study on Daniel, now the problem comes on the application of being a man of integrity in the daily situation of home, work and church!

It was good also to remind ourselves that God's church is universal and we have brothers and sisters all over the world united in the bond of being part of His family.

It is now Tuesday afternoon and tiredness is still a problem - someone will have to invent a pill to make jet lag a thing of the past, or maybe it is just that I'm getting older and it just takes that bit longer for my body to catch up.

Chattanooga cho cho

Jim, George and I are here at precept working very hard. It is now 8.55pm and we are still studying! Arrived on Sunday night to be met by 30 C heat after a long tiring 23 hour journey. All well- no pics as yet

Today

Many years ago now, way back in the early seventies, I shared a flat with three other students in the small seaside town of Portstewart.

One of my flatmates was a PhD student working on the cutting edge with semi-conductors. However he also did sound man with a christian rock group, and I mean rock, sometimes verging on heavy metal. He also could play acoustic guitar and loved playing John Denver, who was probably at the height of his popularity at that time. In his record collection he had a live double LP that I took a copy off onto a c120 cassette(a two hour long tape recording) As tape players became more sophisticated my copy eventually got mangled and destroyed. One song on that album has always stuck in my head as I really liked it. I've even been into amazon and found that you can still buy the LP but today I found it on YouTube!

Listen and enjoy - I know it won't have the same memories for you as it does for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEfvLvLnie8

The aroma of childhood

I am sure that for all of us there are certain smells that immediately we come across them sends us back to a time in the past. Yesterday I was coming back from Newtownards and as we came past the silos at the docks there was this unmistakable aroma of fresh grain that had just been unloaded. As soon as I smelt it I was transported back to childhood, it was so vivid tears welled up in my eyes, that smell is so evocative to me of growing up in Belfast that it brought instant memories of events in my past where I can remember that smell. It's amazing the power of smell.

The Bible tells us that as Christians we are to have a fragrance that leaves a memory behind

2nd Corinthians chapter 2
14But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. 15For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.

Reformation of God's church

Another interesting blog page
http://ruanole2.blogspot.com/2007/02/reformation-of-gods-church.html

How sweet and fitting

When I was at my Mums this week she had an old school book waiting for me, an anthology of poems, I think from my fifth form class.On a well worn page is the poem Dulce et Decorum est, {http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/owen1.html} probably the only poem that I can remember from my school days. It is odd that this anti war poem is the evidence of my education as I attended an all boys public school which was probably based on this very premise Dulce et Decorum est Pro Patria mori- it is sweet and right to die for ones country. The school was very anglicised and we were taught to play the game and have a stiff upper lip. One of the favourite hymns we sang at the school assembly was "Jerusalem" eulogizing the green and pleasant shores of mother England

Jerusalem

(From 'The Preface' to 'Milton') (Notes:)

And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?

And did the Countenance Divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among these dark satanic mills?

Bring me my bow of burning gold;
Bring me my arrows of desire;
Bring me my spear; O clouds, unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire!

I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand,
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land.

The school even had it's own Combined Cadet Force. But I didn't belong to that class. My parents, before the onset of sectarian politics, voted labour which would probably have been enough to get me expelled from the school. As a consequence I stood out as being different at this school which then resulted in myself being the object of derision.
Years later I discovered an anti war song that every time I hear it sends shivers down my back. As a believer there is one line that I am uneasy with but the sentiments just get me every time. That song is "THE BAND PLAYED WALTZING MATILDA" sung by Liam Clancey

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdsIIeMlj9g

Belfast

I watched a programme the other night about the Belfast shipyard, made in 1986 by the Irish television group RTE (http://www.rte.ie/) It seemed to me that there was a certain rose coloured tint to the programme, everybody had a good mate, all laughed at the practical jokes played on each other and not a cloud was seen on the horizon!While the show was only made 20 years ago, a relatively short period of time, I had a feeling I was watching the history channel-it seemed to be an era long gone. Belfast has changed so quickly over the last years it is hard to remember when thousands upon thousands of people flocked into Belfast to work in the yard, Sirocco, the rope works, Gallahers and even Mackie's. I can remember the hooter going to warn people, such as my Dad, that the Foundry gates were about to close and if you weren't in you weren't paid!
While we all lament the decline in the heavy industry we can also look at the old places thru' a dodgy memory. Never mind the political machinations that went on in those places they did not have the health and safety uppermost in their minds. My Mother worked in the Mill when she was young and recalls the noise, the flying shuttles and the trapping of people in the machinery. I watched my father-in-law die of a lung disease as a result of de coking the furnaces (although exacerbated by his smoking of Gallahers cigarettes) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emphysema
And in my present job I have seen many workers and their wives suffering a declining health because of the occupation they had. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asbestosis
Even my Dad who worked in Mackies had his hand crushed in the heavy machinery.
Yes it is an era long gone - perhaps for the better?

Leadership

Found this article on leadership from this blog http://atlantictransplant.blogspot.com/2007/01/worthy-leader-of-men.html while reading another blog (http://revitalizeyourchurch.blogspot.com/) and thought it was quite timely in light of a few conversations I have been having.

Busy times

It has been a busy week, since last Friday I seem to have been constantly on the go. First of all on Friday we had the launch of the new format campaigners in Northern Ireland.

Then on Saturday morning I managed to cook 36 breakfasts with the help of Jim and a few others. The breakfast was followed by a demonstration from the singing chef. I now know what distinguishes an amateur from a professional- a Chefs hat!.

Sunday saw my mothers 88th birthday, so we had a full house with all but two of the extended family able to attend.

Monday night another birthday, this time a surprise 50th for my sister-in-law.

OK so I haven't been on the blog for a few days- mainly because I've been busy and also because I haven't too much too say that is of importance. Had a meeting with our illustrious MLA's (www.mla.org.uk ) on Wednesday past regarding pathology review in NI http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/showconsultations?txtid=21022
Of thirty invited three turned up, but it was still of use.
Have also been looking up other interesting blogs-here's one
http://finedrywit.blogspot.com/

He's behind you!

Tonight was the now annual excursion to the Opera House for the Christmas pantomime. This year it was Peter Pan
As a Christmas present from my sister-in-law I went with May,her two sisters and their husbands to Benedict's in order to eat from the beat the clock menu . Paid £5.50 for the main course (no rib eye beef on this years menu) and then on to the Opera house

This year was much more the pantomime I remember watching when I was younger, a very enjoyable show.

First day back

It's the 2nd January and my first day back at work after the extended hols. I got a bit fed up in the run up to Christmas but now the start of a new year and the prospect of bright days have lifted the gloom.
Work wasn't the chaos I expected on returning - just waiting now to show a possible pathologist the joys of cytology